48 Hours in Munich

Munich is the Bavarian dream. Home to Oktoberfest, the 12th Century city is bursting with history and extravagance and fairytale settings. Lucky for me, I live close enough to just about justify a kind of long but generally beautiful 8-hour train ride from Amsterdam for a whirlwind 48-hour trip… and flying back because, you know. It’s only 48 hours.

Public transport in Munich, as you would expect, is pretty impeccable. The U-Bahn is SO. DAMN. GOOD. Get a group 24-hour pass – apparently two people also count as a group, so it’s way cheaper!

15:30 – 20:00PRETZELS & HISTORIC CENTRE

Get off the U-Bahn at Marienplatz, where the shopping district is a few steps away, as well as open-air markets, bratwurst galore and the Neues Rathaus – or New City Hall to the non-Deutsch. With just 48-hours to burn, stuff as many very German food things into your mouth as possible. Fresh pretzels are ev-er-y-where.

20:00 – ZZZDINNER

La Locanda is actually a really great restaurant and, conveniently, located literally footsteps away from the hotel. Makes for a nice and easy end to a day of travel.

10:00 – 13:30BMW MUSEUM

Get off the U-Bahn at Olympiazentrum€10 pp entranceTuesday – Sunday 10:00-18:00

13:30 – 14:30WEINERZ + COFFEE

Head back to the historic centre – get off at Marienplatz. The market stalls are literally BURSTING with beer and coffee and assortments of steaming meaty things. Nomnomnom.

Wandering around the city centre and you’ll stumble across beer tavern after beer tavern. Take your time to drink some delicious German beers and bar hop from one beer hall to the next – even if it isn’t Oktoberfest.

19:30 – ZZZDINNER

Haxnbauer im Scholastikahaus was our restaurant of choice – but there’s so much to choose from. This one – continuing with the quest for consumption of the most German food possible – served vast meals of schnitzel and dumplings and veal and potatoes and vegetables… all washed down with an equally heart glass of Erdinger. Absolute death by gluttony.

11.30 – 13:00BRUNCH

Munich is great for hipster-millennial brunch jaunts, but with limited time to waste standing in line, Eataly in the Schrannenhalle was the ultimate choice for an end-of-trip brunch. This Italian market-cum-restaurant complex was the first Eataly in Germany and, you know what? I was finally done with heartiness and very ready for some Italian pasta and white wine.

13:00 – HOMEAIRPORT

Hop straight back on the U-Bahn, all the way to the airport in less than half an hour. And – if home is somewhere in Europe – you’re back in time for dinner. Wunderbar.

And there you have it, an easy Eurotrip of 48 hours in Munich, all for around €300 p/p (and you could definitely at least half the price of accommodation if you wanted, taking another €100 or so off the bill). Easy, peasy, cheap and cheerful, and all the rest.